TSR Ch. 49, or my vision of it. We the readers do not get a description of Rand entering Cold Rocks Hold - not yet, at least. The scene opens:

It was really windy outside the Amyrlin's study, a simply-appointed room overlooking the magnificence of the City of Tar Valon itself. It was an Ogier wonder that was almost insulting to describe with mere words, but photography hasn't been reinvented yet.

Siuan Sanche has been pacing back forth by the window for some time. She's worried about the future, as well as the many dangers facing her. She's also wondering why it's so windy - but then a weird sound fills the room.

As the Amyrlin Seat spins around, her gaze locks onto a bright dot of something that has just appeared in the air; it's fixed, at waist height, and next to the furthest window. The sweet sweetness of Saidar fills her all the faster as the dot turns into a vertical bar that widens to the shape of a doorway.

SS: By the Creator's #$%&* #$% &%(@#^ #$&$$@!

She nearly dropped hold of the Power - out walked Moiraine, the short, musical Aes Sedai! The sensation of complete disbelief recurred just as strongly when Rand al'Thor followed her into the study. At this very moment, a man was holding saidin within the White Tower itself. It had to be him, as Moiraine didn't create that... thing.

Thank the Creator that no one had taken Elaida seriously! Two of Siuan's closest confidants were beating the goose pie out of Andor's former advisor; they were asking hard questions about her seditious plot. But that's just unnecessary and ill-timed exposition - Siuan could just not believe that she had them here! The two people she would sink all her boats to see again had somehow appeared! For a moment she wondered, was the Creator getting involved, after all?

No.

MD: Hello, Mother. The Son who was raised by the Old Blood, yet was born of even Older Blood, stopped bickering with me today. We called a truce long enough to chat like normal folks. He swore he'd quit over-reacting quite so badly, and I promised to not be a constant, controlling nuisance.

SS: What in the Dark One's @&^%(^*$%$#$ just happened? What WAS that?

MD: Oh, sorry, Mother. The Dragon Reborn learned how to Travel. Isn't it neat?

SS: ...

MD: No matter what, Amyrlin, I'm sorry it took so long to get here. There were some difficulties, since the Reincarnation of the Guy who Screwed up and Slaughtered his Family is not an easy creature to grapple with!

RaL: {looking patient but put-upon} ...

MD: I actually realized that Leper-Like Lamb-Tender of the World might have some good plans out there among the Aiel. I realized that if the finest fighting force in the world seems drawn to him, he should really pursue it. I also remembered that a scandalous number of people on our side of the Spine are dishonest.

SS: ... Go on, daughter.

MD: Well, I never supported his decision in the first place, but I kept asking him direct and probing and insulting questions, right in front of everyone. Some of those questions might've screwed up plans that he made on his own. Can you imagine the fury of the Rebirthed Soul of the Failed Savior of the Universe when you don't even back his play?

RaL: {Sort of bored, he's walking around looking at Siuan's decorations. His eyes perk up when he catches the view out the windows.} ...

SS: And this Dragon Reborn? What did you make him learn, as part of an exchange of mutual respect that we so rarely grant?

MD: The Boy Who Lived Again to Not Mess up So Badly the Second Time admitted that he is a wool-headed, stubborn, mule of a man.

SS: Two firsts in one day. Surely, the Last Battle is near.

MD: Yes, Mother. And we should actually try to help and work in tandem with the dreaded Rand Al'Thor, though his coming be scary and even for a Winged Time-Riding Lizard his dance moves are a little clumsy-

RaL: I'm right here! What the hell? Don't talk around me!

MD: Rand, you cannot meet the Amyrlin Seat herself officially without first observing the 17 rituals of the famed-

SS: Forget all that. We don't need ceremony or announcements or anything. In fact, we should really keep this a secret, so I'm glad I shielded the room the second I realized you two were here. Now I'm going to bar the door.
{Siuan uses the Power to lift an extremely thick block of iron, one made for emergencies. Siuan moves it to bar the door to the Amyrlin's Study - even though that's the Keeper's job. Siuan must really hate or distrust Leane.}

Done. Now, I've been waiting 20 years for your tiny chime-sounding self to show some damn results and I've finally got some. I became Amyrlin, but you and Lan just ran around meeting women who claim to have taken his virginity!

Instantly, Lan Mandragoran's voiced filled the air. One part of the room seemed to shimmer, and then the top of a man's face became clear. A section of the air seemed to fold back over itself and, in one smooth downward motion, the face it revealed was the odd-planed, rocky, hard-shaped visage of the uncrowned king of Malkier. Presumably, we should actually just call him the Prince of Malkier, or even "the Last Prince," since that sounds pretty cool.

LM: Our travels took us far and wide, and I'm not as young as I look. I told many women they were my first, and I have a deep obligation to each of them. By the way, here are my expense reports. {Lan places several sheets of paper on the Amyrlin's desk} In any case, Mother, we were always chasing down a legitimate lead on that vital piece of information that you two totally half-botched when you were novices.

SS: Mother's mangled ($^*$^@$ @)$@#%#$! Lan, your fancloth cloak never made you completely-

RaL: That was my idea, Siuan Sedai. I know this person named Egwene who acts kind of two-faced sometimes. It got me thinking, and then I suggested that they sew another piece of fancloth on the inside of Lan's cloak. Both sides are made invisible just right, and you can look out but keep your whole body covered!

MD: It's too dumb to have been considered in the Age of Legends.

SS: Truly this is a day of miracles.

RaL: So far, no one's manipulating me in a really dumb and overt way, or even telling me what to do. This must be a day of miracles.

MD: Rand, I told you I only seduced you in one possible futur-

SS: No talking, let's stop wasting time! Let's make some plans already! At any time, the Black Ajah could try to kill all of us, or our families. I could be deposed if the right collection of Sisters made a senseless political bargain at the right moment. In fact it nearly happened! Please note that I've been running interference for you for decades, Moiraine! And I just made a declaration to support his un-educated ass!

RaL: Hey! Tam was a good man.

SS: But he didn't teach you any- No, No talking about anything that's not stopping the Dark One. I'm sorry, ok? Now, let's plan!

MD: Well, first things first: I'm going to need 13 sisters gathered together and under my direction in a short time. We need to carefully investigate who we choose so we don't get Black Ajah in the mix. Before you ask "what for?," I'll tell you - Lanfear's going to attack me.

SS: ...

MD: I get the feeling we're going to come out of the Waste before too long. But I have definite fore-knowledge that I will be on the docks of Cairhien some day soon-ish, and a major battle will ensue. The life of the sometimes-whiny Dragon Reborn-

RaL: I'm right here!

MD: Force of habit... will be in gravest peril at the hands of none other than Lanfear herself!

SS: Uh oh. Rand, I'm sorry if you die.

RaL: Thanks for saying it. I can't even hit a girl with a spitball.

MD: So if we get 13 sisters we can trust, we will surely turn the trap on the trapper.

SS: You mean "pin the silverpike with his own spiky protuberance."

MD: Exactly. We'll have 18 channelers, including her target and the Aiel. Of course we'll win. She'll be focused on-

RaL: {clears throat}

MD: ...Rand, here. Surely a circle with two Sangreal can shield her faster than a Saldaean girl at Harvest.

SS: You're Cairhienin. Your country doesn't say that.

MD: So you agree? If we trap her, we can get much information on lost weaves. We can also subvert the Shadow's plans! Ah, thank you, Mother. Do you have any ideas of your own to add?

SS: Rand, I know that the only time we met, I helped destroy your heart. Sorry. I'm a very important person, and I'm still less important than you. Even though lancer eels and lionfrogs don't teach other how to shock or croark, you have to admit that you barely know anything about the world, much less how to fight this battle.

MD: You just made that last one up! There's no such thing-

SS: Silence, daughter! This is important. Rand, I want you to start gathering men who can channel. I want you to form an army of such men.

{The wind outside became windier}

RaL: It's like you read my mind!... Um, with the Power, can we do that?

MD and SS together: Oh, how we wish.

SS: Listen, please, Rand. I used to be really skeeved out by you in every possible way. But I got to thinking about what I know of the Creator and the Dark One. I realized that - since we experience a recurring loop of Age Cycles in which events roughly repeat themselves - the Power must be periodically corrupted! Maybe it even happened to saidar last time!

RaL: Impossible.

SS: I have at least eight and a half more educations than you, Rand. I know that things will get restored and that saidin will be safe to touch! I just don't know how long it will take to happen. I fear that since the end is so close, we'll need to immediately work on getting more channeling males - most of the Forsaken are men, after all.

RaL: Surely the Tower as a whole will not feel comfortable with this. You're really revealing all the barrels in the apple cart, even though I haven't shown you the goods I will barter with.

SS: I've told you this so that you stop worrying that I'm Black Ajah, and realize the value of trusting me long enough to share your plans! Moiraine and I are people who know how to do this sort of thing, and I particularly have the Power to make your life much easier! Can we just get on with the job of saving the world?

RaL: I actually have some ideas on how to remove the Dark One's touch from Saidin. I'll need a little time to work it all out, though.

SS: To be honest, we should solve that as quickly as possible. We can't have you going crazy. Life will be easier and less heart-breaking if we don't have to murder our own soldiers because they've lost too much reason. And we may have a need for the Sisters outside of watching over these channeling men... By the way, if you require people who study the Power or access to documents from before the Trolloc Wars, just let me know...

RaL: Ooh! Agreed on all counts.

MD: Some of those false Dragons might actually be a help, now that I think of it. I wonder if any of them are darkfriends, though. Seems like the Shadow should love</> false Dragons...

SS: You know, Rand, I'm also of the opinion that teaching the Power to men who might want to channel will give you an opportunity to learn more about it yourself. Sometimes, people who are really prodigious in strength seem to have this intuitive grasp of it - it's rather in-

RaL: I should've died twelve times already. I know what you mean. You never know when I can beat the learning curve, which is great since I never went to school.

MD: Mother, I have another plan to offer. I suggest that we use Rand in order to flush out members of the Black Ajah...

On and on, they planned through the night. Earlier, Rand had only reluctantly agreed to a brief trip to the White Tower. al'Thor was scared of more emotional trauma, but Moiraine convinced him that Sanche's heart was in the right place.

He revealed that his real fear was that it sounded like being taken to meet meet the Dark One at Shayol Ghul - but that thought made them both think of Lanfear. The extreme probability that Moiraine would die shut them both up. As much as she made Rand want to destroy the world or his ear drums, Rand knew he cared for her; Moiraine couldn't stand the fact that, if the trap failed, she had almost no chance of survival. But by promising not to act like a jerk while sacrificing him, Moiraine finally earned enough of Rand's trust to get him to open a gateway of her choosing.

It was very fortunate that they mended their linens quicker than a Malkieri running after a Domani seamstress. By agreeing to take them straight to Tar Valon, Rand al'Thor had changed the course of the Last Battle. The choices, ruses, and traps laid out in the space of an hour were the very foundation for a complicated and coordinated assault on the Shadow.

Their every action would be aimed at creating order and calm, building the materials that they'd need to fight the Dark One at Tarmon Gaidon. Each plot would be so cleverly disguised that any Darkfriends pursuing them would inadvertently reveal themselves. Siuan had an idea that they could occasionally use the Power to create random incidents in towns across the world; this would mimic the effect that Rand has on populated cities, distracting hunters from the Shadow. Rand insisted that they search for any book that described working with the Power.

Some short way from Cold Rocks Hold, Matrim Cauthon suddenly sat up in his blankets. He realized that the gleeman didn't seem to care about his cloak at all, and that that was completely impossible. Or perhaps it was like someone who didn't understand what a gleeman really was.

Cauthon made his way to a nearby fire, just so he could take a small drink of water. He used that time to plan, deciding that he would sneak up on the man and knock him unconscious; then he would drag Jasin Natael to a gathering of Rand and Moiraine and the Wise Ones. In case he was a Forsaken in disguise, that should take care of it.

Mat was just starting to wonder whether he should talk to Rand and Moiraine about his experiences in Finnland, but he was distracted by a long pair of well-developed legs. As he bent down to grab a small shot of oosquai, he turned and they were suddenly standing in front of him.

They belonged to the loveliest Aiel woman he'd ever seen. She started talking to him - despite their general aversion, this woman actually liked horses. She also liked brown eyes, cheeky wit, and killing trollocs. She began asking questions about his boots, then invited him to come back to her blankets to meet her 5 bonded first-sisters. As she explained what this actually would actually mean, in practical terms, for young Master-